I love credit cards so much! v5.0 - 2022 (see first page for add'l details)

[iujen94]

Is this for the flights out of the 3 cities?

Yes - i dumbly did not read the fine print before asking my question.

 

[platamama]

AmEx Member Week offers are loaded to the cards. Have to add by 10/14 but have longer expiration dates.

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/american-express-membership-week-2022-10-10-10-14/

I see all the AmEx offers now and not staggered throughout the week as was reported.

I can stack the Dell offers on one card ($40 off $200 and $50 off $100), so that should combine for $90 off $200. Now, the perennial question - what to buy at Dell? lol

 

[FoxC63]

If you maxed out the CFF grocery spend at $12k, you'd get a total of 80k URs. The CIU/CIC SUBs are 75k URs for $7500 spend. Let's say you got the CIU for simplicity, that gives 1.5x everything. You'd end up with 86,250 URs. More URs, less spend. But the con is you'd have to do the spend in 3 months instead of the grocery spend where you have a year. So just depends on what works for you.

So very helpful thank you. At this point I need the year but will look into it.

I'm also following along with signing up our son for a new CC.

Older son working and living at home. Get him his discover or even maybe his own Freedom asap while he can claim household income as part of your household.

This is so helpful. Our son is unemployed and not currently in college. Can he still apply and claim our household income?

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Okay read all I missed. I want to say thank you to everyone who sent condolences. I'm trying to get back to normal, but it comes in waves. I try to take comfort in the fact that HE made this decision so I didn't have to. I asked him several times to not make me make the decision!

You'll all appreciate this....I had a stack of VGCs from trying to "spend" his money "legally" over the last 1.5 months. I asked the cemetery and the funeral home if they would take them. They did. The lady at the cemetery said it was the coolest thing she ever did, LOL. So I got to get rid of my stack of cards w/o having to funnel them through serve which saves me a TON of time. Since I did that, I didn't hit the $10k spend outright yet....but I only have $400 more to hit it, so I'll hit it pretty fast.

We got the death certificates on Thursday. So Friday before his burial my sister and I ran to the Sect of State and got his car and mobile home in my name before she left. That was easy peasy!

Saturday I took my 17yo to Chicago for HS. We stayed at the Hyatt House. There was a house party behind us that went from check in (5pm) till 2:30am! I called the front desk twice. I knew they couldn't do anything, but they said they would send someone over to ask them to turn down the music. When I called the second time they were rude and said there was nothing they could do. I asked if they could call the cops and they said they were not going to turn in a "neighbor" like that, but I was welcome to call. I called and an hour later my daughter did. Not sure if the cops ever came. I paid w/ points, so the front desk told me on check out to contact them to get some points back.

Hilton Amex cards--should I go for the Surpass and downgrade next year if I think it's not worth the $95 annual fee? No specific plans to use the bonus points. Just trying to diversity my hotel points stash.

I'd get the free card first if you can. I snagged it when it had a great offer. But I love my Surpass card and use it to always get my FNC each year.

@LilSweetPeaPhoto So very sorry to hear about the recent passing of your dad. He was lucky to have you as his daughter and I'm sure that the tremendous love you showed him over the past several weeks allowed him to pass peacefully.

I think he truly went on his own time. I was here, my sister was here. He got to talk to his aunt and cousin that day too. I'm sure he would have loved to see my kids one more time And I do think he knows how loved he was. He didn't want a funeral, I think because he was afraid no one would come. A lot did!

Thinking of venturing to IHG which many have spoke about
have amex surpass, have had amex hilton for over 20 years), reach diamond yearly just with spend

almost all marriott point used up and not sure I want to go there again

so pros and cons of IHG and if the current SUB are any good

thanks so much

sheree

I love IHG! I have all 3 cards. I use the points for "free" stays w/ my kids in NC. That's a card I also churn. The FNC w/ the Premier and Biz are nice too!

 

[tink1970]

So very helpful thank you. At this point I need the year but will look into it.

I'm also following along with signing up our son for a new CC.

This is so helpful. Our son is unemployed and not currently in college. Can he still apply and claim our household income?

After dependents turn 21 they can claim any household income to which they have access but from 18-the day before 21, no. It's a weird rule... I was super excited when DD turned 21 for this reason

 

[georgina]

Thought DH would have to call Amex to downgrade his BCP to BCE, but successfully completed by chat! Yay, it's the little things that are so exciting.

He had an offer to upgrade it last year for free, but with just 2 of us we don't spend enough on groceries to make it worthwhile to pay the $95 AF. I was buying grocery gift cards all year with the 6% back, so probably have enough to cover almost an entire year's worth of food now.

 

[amylovesdamon]

Welcome!

I am a HUGE fan of getting a new card for any large spend so think it's awesome you're considering it. Why waste the spend?

Depending in P2's business/"business" , I do think another Ink is within reason-since P2 is still under 5/24 and last Ink was in May, that's 5 months ago so a good cushion. It's easy to send a secure message requesting transfer of CL of $x from Oldest Ink ending in -1234 to Newest Ink ending in -4567 and the change is pretty instant-just ensure the Old Ink doesn't have pending charges/outstanding balances.

Pros-Ink doesn't add to 5/24, no AF, the points are used for Hyatt/SW
Cons-low CL and having to SM



If, for some reason , that doesn't feel right then consider the personal WoH for your P2 (this will likely be in contrast to others who are going to chime in lol)...because it really sounds like you prefer Hyatt and personal cards seem to have higher credit limits than business. The SUB isn't great but the points he earns can be transferred to you (I'm sure you know this) and your concierge can make it happen more quickly if you email him/her the transfer form. You can also "support" P2 and send a link from yours and earn another 5K WoH points.

Pros- more WoH points (always needed LOL), probably a higher CL than a Chase Biz card
Cons-adds to x/24 (P2 would then be at 4/24), it can take some time to receive the card (like 10-14 business days), although you'll earn the SUB (30K points) and "support" (5K points), plus the spend, it's not a great SUB for sure.

Or...I might go completely different direction and recommend either the American Express Blue Business Plus or Business Cash-you could "support" P2 from your Amex Plat (can be a completely different card) and decide whether Membership Rewards is something you want to pursue or cash (that will determine which card P2 obtains). You'll earn MRs for the "support" regardless.

Pros-business card doesn't add to X/24, Amex is usually more generous with credit limits, no Annual Fee for either
Cons- the SUBs aren't fabulous...mmm...I really love my BBP so I can't really think of any more ...perhaps not being approved?


I have faith the rest of the community will have other suggestions

Thank you for your suggestions! I have also strongly considered the WOH card for P2. It was reassuring to me to have someone else suggest this as well since it's not a super high SUB. I'll consider it.

 

[becauseimnew]

I can stack the Dell offers on one card ($40 off $200 and $50 off $100), so that should combine for $90 off $200. Now, the perennial question - what to buy at Dell? lol

I'm buying a power bank.
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/del...451-bcev/pc-accessories#compatibility_section

 

[amylovesdamon]

I vote for a new CIC for P2 (and soon, before that Amex Gold hits P2's credit profile). It is very easy to move CLs via SM, even to newly opened cards, and it's quick, usually within 24 hours. Fastest would be via a phone call but I know some people hate phone calls. You have a nice stash of URs, and those could help a lot with getting to Europe. Look into booking Delta using Virgin Atlantic (a UR & MR airline partner) as an option since sometimes it costs less points using VS compared to DL points. Here's a good write up from the Frequent Miler blog https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-book-delta-flights-with-virgin-atlantic-miles/ It's kind of getting late for award redemptions for June 2023 but you might get lucky. As an example I did a search for SEA-AMS June 3 (random June date) and there were no available award tickets, but there are some that are 19,000 VS miles + $170 (on VS metal) on different June days. In July there are numerous days available for 30,000 VS miles + $6 (Delta metal).

Make sure P2's CLs are in order (~50% income, not over $65-70K combined personal and biz) before applying.

I hear you on not interfering with your own plans for a SW CP! I would not mess with that. I'm going for mine at the end of 2023 so I only have space for one personal card before then, and I'm not seeing any particularly enticing one. I keep hoping a higher CSP SUB comes along; I missed the 100K SUB by just a few days due to Chase messing up my PC. Meanwhile I'm busy trying to get P2's Globalist status renewed by end of this year.

ETA: URs have a 30% transfer bonus to VS going on right now, expires 11/12/22.

Thank you for your suggestions and for the article you linked regarding VA Europe flights! Super helpful! Thanks for the reminder about Chase CLs before applying; just checked and P2 is well over recommended CL limits; will SM today and get those lowered.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Of course what's done is done....but looking at it now, I legit get nothing for the Amex Gold biz for the $299 AF, right? I should have just did the Plat Biz and at least got something for the AF and got more MRs. UGH. Oh well.....I've been in pop-up hell and it was last minute doing this anyways. I guess I'll just try and get over "paying" $299 for 80k MRs.

 

[wanderlust7]

So very helpful thank you. At this point I need the year but will look into it.

I'm also following along with signing up our son for a new CC.

This is so helpful. Our son is unemployed and not currently in college. Can he still apply and claim our household income?

Forgot to mention that the CIC has 5x on office supply stores, which would be good for buying GC.

Are you planning to go to Disney when you go to Japan? You might want to look at one of the Amex Hilton cards at some point to stay at the Hilton Tokyo Bay. The Surpass and biz versions comes with Gold status, which would get you free breakfast.

 

[wanderlust7]

Of course what's done is done....but looking at it now, I legit get nothing for the Amex Gold biz for the $299 AF, right? I should have just did the Plat Biz and at least got something for the AF and got more MRs. UGH. Oh well.....I've been in pop-up hell and it was last minute doing this anyways. I guess I'll just try and get over "paying" $299 for 80k MRs.

You get 4x on restaurant and gas. At least it's something?

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

You get 4x on restaurant and gas. At least it's something?

Well the restaurants maybe. But 90% of my gas is from Costco. So no Amex there

 

[Princess Michele]

I can stack the Dell offers on one card ($40 off $200 and $50 off $100), so that should combine for $90 off $200. Now, the perennial question - what to buy at Dell? lol

I currently have a Dell offer on my AMEX Plat for spend $599 and get $120. So if I activate the new offer for spend $100 and get $50 they will stack and I will get $170 back for spending only $599? I was not sure if they would stack or which offer AMEX would credit if both were activated at the same time.

 

[amcc]

If I book a Hilton through a group link (that is a www. hilton. com...), will I get points and status as if I booked it through the regular site? It's about $100/night cheaper through the group.

Yes, you'll get CC points, you just most likely won't get any additional pts for your stay or anything like that. For our group stays I tend to use my CSR and then pyb to offset the charge. Ours have mostly been Marriott because that's the preference...

I wasn't expecting much based on your advice (thank you for answering!) but in case it helps anyone...my Embassy Suites rate through a group link gave me all the regular Hilton points - base points, 2022 promo points, and diamond 100% bonus points. It was a run of the mill hotel near Int'l Drive and I didn't expect much of anything but I got the only Hilton "upgrade" I've ever gotten to a bigger corner room on the top floor. Lol! Nothing at any of the nicer hotels we've stayed so I had given up on any benefits for Diamond status.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Just returned from 72 hours in WDW. Key takeaways:

• Flew SW nonstop for 28k pp RT x2 + two companion passes. I rarely pay for EBCI but probably should have due to all the family boarding. Used 3 upgraded boardings with Chase Biz Performance cc; it's nice to be able to do this online now.
• Stayed at Swan Reserve. Still a great premium hotel and the transportation organization seems improved over our last visit. Used 2 FNCs + top off and one night cash rate at $285 + taxes/fees. Frequently checked and rechecked these rate to score them for under 50k or the great cash rate. Had to book 3 individual nights, but they linked them together without issue. Upgraded to Epcot view and received 12pm checkout (wouldn't budge on this).
• Somehow this trip crept up on me and I wasn't proactive enough getting discounted gcs. Ended up with a 10% overall discount which took a bunch of running around, when I can usually score 14% from my sofa with the right timing. But the AP merchandise discount was bumped up to 30% while we were there, which was nice for the couple of things we bought. Mobile checkout was really nice.
• Uber was pricey on arrival but cheap on departure, so $105 RT. I think that's pretty decent.
• Yikes was it hotter than I remember for October!
• We logged 24k steps a day and came down with some raging colds, which made it tough to keep the pace.
• Used Genie+ for the first time for 2 of 3 days, in combination with ILL$ for key rides like FOP and Guardians of the Galaxy. Despite rope dropping 2 of 3 days, it was still tough to do multiple rides without long waits. We are park experts; can't imagine what it must be like for newish park guests to navigate WDW. However, on our first day which was Magic Kingdom, we arrived just after early hours and walked on a ton of rides. So I think the crowd calendar really makes a huge difference.
• Guardians of the Galaxy was indescribably amazing. I know nothing about the movie franchise, but the ride experience was like nothing I've ever experienced before. After the ride, all we could say was WOW over and over again. DH has some motion sickness (mostly spinning rides) and had no issues with this at all. If you are on the fence about splurging on this ILL$ just do it.
• It's still our happy place. It's been 11 months since our last visit. I'm satisfied for 1-2 years. The kids said they are satisfied for 2-4 months, lol. Good thing I plan the vacations.
• It's tough to try to not miss school for vacation. For our next trip I'll have to find a way to manage it during truly low season and probably cooler weather because otherwise it's just so tough to get on rides.

Happy to answer any questions!

 

[LynnTH]

Thank you to @LynnTH for the United Club pass. Getting breakfast and have somewhere comfortable to sit, charge things and play on the computer during my almost four hour layover. First time in a lounge and my next flight will be my first time in FC.

Glad they worked out. If anyone else is looking for some United Club Passes - I have the following that I won't be using. Our United Flights to Europe are in May and these all expire before then and not good with other airlines flights. Message Me and I can email to you.

1 pass Expires November 12, 2022
2 passes Expire February 9, 2023
2 passes Expire March 9, 2023

 

[wanderlust7]

I currently have a Dell offer on my AMEX Plat for spend $599 and get $120. So if I activate the new offer for spend $100 and get $50 they will stack and I will get $170 back for spending only $599? I was not sure if they would stack or which offer AMEX would credit if both were activated at the same time.

It should stack.

Got the offer on my biz plat that has the $200 Dell credit. Also have a 10% offer. Will need to be careful to not have the credits be more than I spent, Amex hasn't like that in the past. But you won't have this problem.

 

[AmyAnne]

Anyone else not have the Dell offer? I have all of today's other member week offers, just not Dell.

 

[havaneselover]

Making progress on my new CRV. I think it's been allocated so just waiting on a build date.